You're the Voice
by AranthianPrincess
Summary: SLASH WARNING! Merlin is found out and it was Arthur who put him in that predicament. However, someone doesn't want these two to be parted just yet and sends for help from the future, calling in three of Britain's most powerful magic-users to help them.
1. 1 The Future Rescues the Past

_**Title:** You're the Voice_

_**Rating:** M_

_**Pairings: **Harry/Draco, Arthur/Merlin_

_**Warnings:** Slash, time-travel, OC usage (but not as a romantic interest for any of the characters), non-canon history based on OC, violence, assumes Merlin and Harry Potter are set in the same universe with events happening in Merling affecting the world of Harry Potter  
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_**A/N:** This is something I've been toying around with doing for awhile. It's a crossover fic with characters from Harry Potter and Merlin plus my own HP fan-fic character who is mostly along for the ride and to observe the story from a vantage point I would love to have at times. Also, this is what I call a double slash fic, with helpings of both Harry/Draco and Arthur/Merlin. This story is set just a year or two after Harry, Draco, and my OC finish Auror training and after Season 2 of Merlin where Merlin becomes a Dragonlord.**  
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><p><strong>Chapter 1<strong>

**The Future Rescues the Past**

A raven-haired woman stood silently at the front of the crowd just beyond the pyre. Her face and body were obscured by a hooded cloak despite the blazing heat of the sun. Around her she knew her compatriots also stood watching the dark-haired boy tied to the post in the middle of the pyre awaiting his fate. He did not go quietly, but screamed apologies, explanations, and mad declarations toward a rather small figure garbed in the scarlet and gold of the royal house.

Maia snorted at the irony of the royal colors, recognizing them for their similarity to her House's colors, the scarlet and gold of Gryffindor, where she had spent her seven years of school and whose favored qualities still ruled over the majority of her life as an adult. Yes, she was considered an adult, though no older than the young sorcerer who now burned at the stake, a disturbing foreshadowing of the witch trials that would be conducted in a few centuries' time.

One more glance back at the parapet where the king and prince of Camelot stood watching the proceedings take place told Maia that the sorcerer's last confession, that he loved the prince and always had, had gotten a reaction from the smaller figure. He was clearly trying valiantly to hide his grief, though the effort was in vain. A quick look at the king suggested that, perhaps, the prince's attempt to hide his feelings wasn't entirely a failure. The king seemed not to have noticed the real reason behind his son's labored breathing and retching, but Maia understood all too well the look of guilt and regret on the younger man's face. After all, she had seen it all before.

Now was not the time to worry about the prince's emotional health, however. She turned back to the pyre where Merlin, the prince's former manservant, refused to scream as the fire worked its way up his legs, though he must have been in intense pain. It was time for her to do something about that.

"_Impervius_!" Maia shouted, pointing her wand straight at the boy in the flames. She saw him gasp as the burning sensations suddenly ceased, leaving him with only the pain already caused before she had cast the spell.

Shouting and screaming could be heard around her, but Maia stepped away from the crowd toward the still burning pyre and spun in place to face the parapet where a stunned silent Prince Arthur and his enraged father, King Uther, stood staring at her. Two other cloaked and hooded figures stepped up to either side, flanking her.

"Arrest them!" Uther commanded, glaring down at the knights who had been present to light the pyre. "They're sorcerers!"

Maia, quite annoyed by this term, threw her hood back, sapphire eyes glaring fiercely at the king and studiously ignoring the obvious look of relief that crossed Prince Arthur's features. Apparently he had noticed that Merlin was no longer actually being burned alive, but just standing in the middle of the flames relatively unhurt.

For a moment, the raven-haired woman wondered why none of the guards had tried to restrain her and her companions, but realized they might have been surprised to find such a young woman using forbidden magic. She decided to take full advantage of this and speak her piece about being called a sorcerer when she was obviously no such thing.

"You are wrong, Your Highness," Maia called, her voice strong and clear as it drifted up to the parapet and its royal occupants. "I am no such thing as a sorcerer. No, I am something much different from the innocent life you have tried to claim this day. I am, in fact, a witch."

This seemed not to matter to Uther, who repeated his command to "arrest the magic-users." This time, the knights seemed to have gotten over their shock and began to move forward. Maia ignored them, knowing they would be taken care of without her help, and cast the Impervius Charm on herself before walking into the flames and up to the bound Merlin.

"Who are you?" He asked, his eyes round with surprise and too much hope.

"I am the one who came to rescue you," Maia replied, aiming her wand at the ropes binding him. "_Diffindo_!"

The ropes dropped away and Merlin was free. The knights had stepped up their efforts to reach them, but the shouts of _Impedimenta_, _Stupefy_, and even an _Expelliarmus_ prevented the enemy from getting closer to any of them. Yes, her companions would keep them safe for as long as it took to get away. Then another problem asserted itself. Merlin refused to stay still and wait for the rest of his rescue. No, instead he was climbing out of the flames. Probably trying to get to the castle and Prince Arthur. Maia nipped that idea in the butt before he got farther than the stone of the courtyard.

"You are not going back in there," she hissed in his ear, latching onto his arm and refusing to let go.

"But, Arthur!" Merlin glared at her. It wasn't that impressive, no, but she could see the determination behind those blue eyes and knew it would be easier, and probably safer, to go with him and make sure he got to say good-bye or whatever it was he wanted to do.

"Fine, but I'm coming with you and we're doing this my way," she whispered back, lifting her head and shouting to the other two that she had Merlin and they would meet at the predesignated spot as soon as possible. The other two nodded and vanished with twin cracks that filled the air and startled all still watching the debacle in the courtyard. "Hold on tight," Maia whispered to Merlin and followed suit, Apparating both of them into the castle.

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><p>Arthur heard the shout from the courtyard. Strangely, it made him look up, probably because it was not in a language he recognized. A moment later he was glad he had looked because he could see the surprised look on his manservant's face and knew he no longer felt the flames surrounding him. Maybe he wouldn't burn after all. The thought nearly brought a smile to his face until he remembered himself at his father's declaration that they were sorcerers.<p>

For a moment Arthur was confused, wondering why his father suddenly switched from the singular "he" to the plural in reference to Merlin until he realized three cloaked figures had seemingly materialized standing guard between them and Merlin. Then he watched as the leader flung back his hood only to reveal a young woman with a fiery gaze. She looked fierce and bravely declared she was not a sorcerer but a witch. What the difference was Arthur didn't know, but apparently it made no difference because his father was ordering the knights to arrest them again.

The woman ignored them, instead turning a small piece of wood, a stick really, on herself and saying the same word that had protected Merlin from the flames. It was then that Arthur realized it was this woman he had to thank for protecting Merlin. All thoughts of gratitude flew out of his mind as he watched her turn and walk serenely into the flames, stopping to talk with Merlin, a conversation he could not hear, and unbind him. Several moments later all four of them vanished with a sound like the crack of a whip.

"Find them!" His father ordered next to him, clearly enraged that his prey had managed to escape from him so easily. The knights bowed and jogged out of the courtyard, presumably to carry out those orders. Arthur turned and followed his father back inside the castle but hesitated when Uther paused and turned to look back at him. "Gather all your knights. You are to find and bring back all four of those sorcerers for execution. Do not fail me, Arthur."

The prince stood for several long minutes as his father strode regally away, leaving him to gape at the king's back. His father wanted him to hunt down his own manservant? That was impossible. He simply couldn't betray Merlin like that again. Could he? These thoughts swirled through his guilt-ridden mind all the way back to his rooms where a whispered "Arthur" startled him into drawing his sword and being disarmed in the next instant.

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><p>Maia had only Apparated them into the entrance hall of the castle. Having not seen much more of Camelot during the short time she had been here it was the only place she could safely transport both of them without Splinching. When they reappeared, scattering several screaming maids and servants, she urged Merlin to lead the way to the prince's rooms, hoping to beat him there so she wouldn't have to fight down a knight firmly ensconced in his fortress.<p>

They were in luck. Merlin guided them safely through little-used corridors and managed to prevent them from being seen at the same time. Maia belatedly remembered that she could have cast a Disillusionment Charm on both of them to make being left unnoticed a lot easier, but decided Merlin could do this part his way and remain safely in the dark of what she was capable of. No need to reveal all that yet.

They arrived at the correct door and Maia watched carefully as Merlin unlocked the door and entered with a small wave of his hand and a muttered word of a language she did not recognize. She slipped in behind him and closed the door behind her, watching as Merlin relocked it so the prince would not think something amiss when he returned.

It turned out they didn't have to wait long before footsteps could be heard outside the door, pausing as a key turned in the lock and the door creaked open to reveal a tired, but relieved Prince Arthur.

"Arthur?" Merlin barely whispered, but the sound was enough to startle the prince into drawing his sword, which was belted at his waist, probably for the execution.

Merlin stepped backward quickly, although he was already out of range of the deadly blade and needn't have feared for his safety in the first place as Maia aimed her wand and muttered _Expelliarmus_ the instant Arthur had drawn his sword. The weapon left his grasp and soared through the air to drop neatly, if a bit heavily, into her outstretched hand. She caught it with a muttered "oof" and twisted it so the point was jabbed between two of the floor's flagstones.

Arthur looked up with wide eyes only to sag in what appeared to be relief at the sight of Merlin standing before him but looking at her in surprise.

"How did you do that?" Merlin asked, but Maia gestured for him to turn around and pay attention to the prince who was still gaping at them like an idiot. That didn't last long, though. Apparently, Arthur had noticed his behavior and drew himself back up into a fully regal pose that made him look a little like a prat, but was effective nonetheless, and proceeded to completely ignore Merlin.

"Who are you?" Arthur asked of the strange woman he recognized from the fight in the courtyard. He would ignore Merlin for now because he really didn't feel like he could face his manservant without grovelling and he would never live that down even if he did win Merlin back that way.

"My name is of no importance. It is Merlin who wished to return here," the woman replied, her eyes glinting with amusement as if she enjoyed this game. The implied statement in her words did throw him for a minute. He was shocked to hear that it was Merlin's idea to come back to him, or at least come see him, but he still couldn't deal with that now. His betrayal of his manservant was still too fresh.

"Nevertheless, you will give me your name. I will know to whom I am speaking," Arthur declared, struggling to keep his voice calm. It was easier when he didn't think about the stare he was receiving from the other man in the room. The woman grinned, though it never reached her eyes and seemed more fey-like than anything. Mischievous, if not malicious.

"My name is Maia Alexandra Revelin," she replied, her eyes never leaving his face. She must have seen his blank look because her grin turned less fey and became more amused. "Ah, so you couldn't place the name after all. I thought as much. You see, that would be because my family has not yet been created, though the first Revelins should reveal themselves sometime during your reign as king."

Arthur glared at her, annoyed at her deliberately confusing explanation and at the shocked look of an epiphany that crossed Merlin's face. Annoyance allowed him to push the guilt at his betrayal away temporarily and pay attention to his manservant, or, more accurately, demand an explanation that was at least comprehensible.

"Whatever is she talking about?" He asked, directing his question to Merlin, but refusing to speak his name or look directly at him. It still hurt too much for that.

Annoyance made a resurgence as Merlin ignored his question in favor of asking one of his own of his new companion. "Surely you don't mean that?"

"Of course I do. The Revelin family will not come into true being until several years into the reign of Arthur, the Once and Future King. I am a pure-blood descendant of those first Revelins, loyal magic-users in the King's court. The blood that runs in their veins runs also in mine."

"Are you saying you are from the future?" Merlin asked. At least his voice sounded a little incredulous, though Arthur almost wanted to cuff him on the head for even entertaining the thought. Almost. He still felt too guilty for betraying Merlin to cause him any more pain just now, even in jest.

"You're a quick learner, aren't you," Maia replied, approval ringing clear in her voice. "Yes, I am from hundreds years in the future."

"If you're from the future," Arthur broke in, disbelief evident in his voice, "then how and why did you come back here?"

The woman's sapphire gaze turned fierce again as she turned to him. "I am here because the two of you have managed to royally screw things up and someone has to fix it. I am here at the request of a supremely magical being to help you both set destiny back on its proper course and to help you combat the threat against both magic and yourselves."

Arthur's eyes narrowed, finding this woman to be quite irritating, especially the way she talked about magic as if it wasn't a bad thing. _But do you really think that? Or are you just thinking what your father wants you to think? Merlin has magic and you KNOW he's not evil. Maybe not all magic is bad? _"Only someone from the future would fight with a stick," he muttered instead of voicing the thoughts running circles around his head.

Not a second later he yelped and rubbed at a spot on his arm that stung, looking indignantly at the woman named Maia. Gentle fingers pried his hands away from the wound and pushed up his sleeve. Merlin had crossed the room in an instant and was examining the spot for any severe injuries. Worst of all he sounded cross with his new friend.

"What did you do to him?" He directed over his shoulder, not bothering to look up from his examination of Arthur's arm. Then he looked up into Arthur's eyes and asked gently, "Are you alright?"

Arthur looked down with a muttered "I'm fine" and tried to pull away, but Merlin was bloody strong for someone so small. When he looked up again he could have sworn he saw an affectionate smile and approving eyes on the woman's face, but it was gone when he blinked and she was back to her annoying self.

"It was a simple Stinging Hex," Maia replied, shrugging her shoulders and looking unconcerned, though Arthur, and apparently Merlin, thought a hex was definitely something to worry about.

"A hex!" Merlin cried. Arthur could only manage a slightly choked sound, but began tugging his arm closer to his body in an effort to protect it from the insane woman's magic. "How do I remove it?"

"Oh, calm down. It's not what you're thinking at all. In my time, a hex is simply a spell that inflicts minor pain and discomfort on a victim. The effects have already ceased. There is no need to counter it."

To his annoyance, Arthur discovered that the woman was right and his arm didn't sting all that much anymore. It felt like it was subsiding now and was no worse than if someone had pricked him with a blade. Belatedly, he realized she had been getting him back for his earlier insult and cast her a glare that said he still wasn't all that impressed with her stick.

She merely shrugged again. "I got your sword, didn't I?"

Well, he did have to admit to that as she was holding it and stood more than ten feet away from him.

"What do you want?" He sighed, finally managing to pull away from Merlin and roll his sleeve back down. His manservant was still staring at him as if he wasn't totally convinced of Arthur's health, but said nothing more about it.

"I just wanted to say good-bye, Arthur. That's all," Merlin told him, suddenly finding his boots extremely interesting.

"Good-bye?" Arthur choked. "Why?"

"I can't stay here now. I'm sorry. I was supposed to protect you and I failed."

"No, Merlin, I-"

"It's alright, Arthur," Merlin glanced up and gave him a shaky smile. "We'll figure something out."

Then part of Maia's explanation for her presence returned to him full force and he felt panic welling up in his chest, as well as the first stirrings of anger. "You're not going to kill my father are you? To protect the magic-users?"

Merlin, at least, looked startled and turned to face Maia whose grin turned wolfish, but also appraising. "You did comprehend what I said." His glare most have grown fiercer because she continued on without prompting. "No, I do not intend to murder your father. He will die of old age soon enough and then you will be king. We can only hope he learns to understand the futility and cruelty of his actions or that those who use magic will learn how to be more discreet and, thus, save many innocent lives."

"But I tried to keep my magic secret and I was still found out!" Merlin burst out, the frustration and helplessness on his face painful to look at. Arthur felt a burst of sympathy toward his manservant then, imagining how difficult it must have been to hide who he was for so many years.

"You did not try well enough, then," Maia replied, sounding unreasonably harsh. Arthur moved to step in and defend Merlin because, even though he had betrayed his manservant that did not mean he would not protect him when he was in danger. However, Maia continued before he had the chance. "Magic-users have survived many persecutions throughout the centuries. There have been times in history when we were feared, the witch trials where we were captured and burned at the stake. This has caused us to go into hiding. There are hundreds of us in this country alone and we manage to stay relatively secret, though our cultures are so different from that of the non-magic-users. It should be easier to blend in during this era when both of your cultures are relatively the same. Yes, magic is wonderful and makes a terrific shortcut, but using it before thinking gets people killed, like it almost got you killed.

You must remember, _both_ of you must remember that not only do you suffer persecution from those who do not understand magic, but from those who would kill you for using your magic against them. Merlin, you have been personally targeted by other sorcerers before for using your magic to protect Arthur and it will continue to happen again and again unless you learn how to use your magic. You need to learn how to fight with your magic instead of charging in blindly and hoping to your immense good fortune to help you win and come out alive."

"How am I supposed to do that?" Merlin nearly shouted back, the despair in his voice contagious. Arthur stood in silent fear for his manservant, watching the exchange with blunted hope, hope that this stranger could work the miracles she weaved with her words.

"You learn from your mistakes," Maia replied, and Arthur's sudden burst of hope took a deep dive back towards despair. "You listen to the advice of the people around you. Gaius, Kilgharrah, and Arthur. They may not be magic-users like you, but Gaius and Kilgharrah have been around for a long time and both have experience in magic and Arthur is a warrior. You must be both a sorcerer and a warrior if you are to survive the trials ahead."

"How do you know all this?" Merlin asked, his voice now filled with wonder. Arthur had to admit, his mind was starting to whirl with impressed thoughts revolving around this stranger.

"Unlike you, I listen when a dragon talks to me."

"Kilgharrah told you this?"

"He did," Maia nodded. "Dragons in my time cannot speak, so one who can, and does so often, must be wise indeed. He does know things that can help you if only you listen."

"I do listen! But he only ever talks in riddles and puzzles!"

"Then perhaps you should pause to solve the riddles and puzzles. Perhaps the answer cannot be given to you directly, but must be learned to have value."

Merlin stared with his mouth hanging open, clearly surprised that the woman not only made sense, but managed to make his whining seem all the more childish. Arthur, however, was still stuck on the fact that he was supposed to still be apart of this adventure and that apparently both Maia and Merlin had been talking to a dragon. The same one by the sound of it.

"You both can stop gaping at me now. Really," Maia muttered with a put-upon sigh. "And we must leave soon if we are to meet with my friends and not get caught by the castle guards. I highly doubt the prince's former manservant would be welcome in his chambers."

She yanked his sword from the floor and walked over, holding it out with the blade lying across her outstretched palms so he could grasp the hilt. He took his sword back and sheathed it, looking up in time to see Maia grabbing hold of Merlin by the arm and pulling out her stick. She was about to leave with him which caused a very different bout of panic than before. He didn't want Merlin to leave him again. So, deciding he couldn't live with himself if he let Merlin down a second time by letting him leave alone, Arthur made his decision.

"I'm coming too," he declared, stepping up to both sorcerers. Merlin smiled at him while Maia regarded him with an assessing stare before nodding and holding out her right arm, the one bearing the evil, stinging stick.

"Hold tight," she said and Arthur grasped her arm. "This takes a bit of getting used to."

He wanted to ask what she meant by that, but a second later he had the chance to find out for himself. It definitely wasn't a pleasant feeling, traveling magically like this, but he supposed if you did it often enough you might not notice it. As much.


	2. 2 Meet the Team

_Author's Note: Sorry this chapter is so short compared to the other one. I've decided not to try to make all the chapters even, but instead just stop where I feel like the story has come to a good cut off point. Not all the chapters will be this short (but, hopefully, this is the shortest chapter you will see) and some will be even longer than the first chapter. It all just depends on what's happening in the story. Also, I will be switching point of view a lot. The next chapter will probably start out with Harry's point of view since I've down everyone else except him so far. And, yes, eventually I will tell you why Arthur feels so guilty about betraying Merlin and what he actually did. You'll have to wait a while for that though._

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><p><strong>Chapter 2<strong>

**Meet the Team**

Draco sat facing the fire he had conjured the second they Apparated to this part of the forest just outside the castle walls. It wasn't far, but Revelin would be burdened by another person to Apparate with and they didn't want to strain any member of their party too early on. It really was a pity they couldn't have brought Granger along. He had heard she was talented at learning new spells and had at least a partial handle on those involving healing from the stories told of her exploits during the war. Alas, she and the Weasel were not allowed to follow them here. The dragon who had contacted them said he could only manage to bring three people back and no more than that.

He sighed, clenching one hand into a fist to keep from mimicking the Boy-Who-Lived sitting across from him and raking his fingers through his hair. The ground was uncomfortable, which attributed to his current annoyance, but he was more worried about the damage that would be done to his clothes from the dirt and other natural dangers inherent in sitting on the ground. Draco had already spread his cloak out beneath him, but that only helped so much. Really, would it have killed Revelin and Potter to pick a meeting place somewhere _indoors_?

"Stop fidgeting," an annoyed voice demanded from across the flames. "You look like a lovestruck schoolgirl."

Draco looked up and matched Potter glare for glare. "I will have you know, that these robes cost more than your entire wardrobe combined, Potter, and I have no intention of ruining them by sitting in _dirt_."

"You should have worn something less expensive then," Potter retorted.

"And look like a hermit?" Draco was appalled. "I would never disgrace myself by appearing as less than my best in public and in front of royalty, Potter."

"Even if that royalty is a Muggle? I thought you didn't care about Muggle government, Malfoy."

"This is different. This Muggle has had constant contact with our kind and was rumored to be quite sympathetic to out plight," Draco informed his companion.

Potter opened his mouth to reply when a nearby crack alerted them to Revelin's belated arrival. Draco turned to berate her for her tardiness only to find his wand suddenly in his hand and aimed at the third person standing with the two they were expecting. A glance out of the corner of his eye showed Potter wasn't the senseless idiot he seemed and was pointing his wand at the stranger as well.

Arthur was relieved to find stable ground beneath his feet once more but stiffened in the next moment when he came face to face with two of those stinging sticks. He reached for his sword, noticing with a tightening in his chest that Merlin immediately stepped between him and the two men threatening him. Surprisingly, Maia stepped between both groups with raised hands, staring down who must have been her companions from the courtyard.

"Lower your wands," she commanded, her tone one of assured authority. The men lowered their sticks, but did not put them away. Apparently they were only willing to follow her orders to a certain extent, but Maia seemed to be content with this and continued. "Of course, you already know Merlin, whom we rescued from the pyre. And this is Prince Arthur, who has decided to join our efforts of his own free will."

Arthur glared at the woman for a moment and opened his mouth to protest. "I did not agree to join any efforts at all. I don't even know what these 'efforts' of yours are. I only agreed to come along."

He received a withering glare from Maia in return. "By coming along, you have agreed to help us or we will be forced to erase your memory and send you back into the sympathetic arms of your king, who will no doubt demand an explanation for why you have not brought back Merlin and ourselves."

Merlin stepped closer to his side at these words, as if he were getting into position to protect him, but this didn't stop Arthur from blanching at the witch's words. He didn't know exactly what was involved in the erasing of his memories, but he was certain he wanted to keep them. And his father? Returning empty-handed would be disastrous in several ways, with the king's decision that Arthur was still ensorcelled the best of the choices.

"Very well, I agree to help with your efforts," he growled.

Maia smiled brilliantly and turned to wave her hand toward her companions. "Good. Now, to introduce you to the team that will help accomplish our mission. The sheepish-looking one with dark hair is Harry," she pointed to him and Arthur was stunned to notice that he did look a bit sheepish, refusing to meet his eyes as if he were embarrassed to have been caught threatening royalty. "The haughty one over there with the pale blond hair is Draco. I suggest never trying to order him about because he becomes dreadfully annoying every time."

The other man gave Maia an annoyed glare, but nodded his head to Arthur all the same. He reminded the prince of the young noblemen he was forced to interact with on a regular basis. Taking some comfort in this familiarity Arthur turned back to the witch and asked the first question he could think of when faced with so many new changes in such a short amount of time.

"Why did you call yourself a witch when you stood up to my father?"

Maia gave him a quizzical look and turned to take a seat around the fire between her two companions. Merlin joined their group, leaving enough room next to him for Arthur to take a place as well, should he choose to. He chose to remain standing for the moment, instead waiting for Maia to respond to his question.

"I called myself a witch because that is what I am," was her only answer. Arthur glared.

"I think what Arthur wants to know is: What is the difference between a witch and a sorcerer?" Merlin asked for him, glancing up to make sure he got the interpretation right. Arthur ignored him.

"That's the first question he asks?" The one called Draco taunted, his voice tinged with disbelief. "I thought he was supposed to be more intelligent than that."

"Malfoy..." The dark-haired man who, Arthur suddenly noticed, had a scar shaped like a lightning bolt on his forehead, muttered exasperatedly. "All knowledge has to come from somewhere. How is he supposed to know these things if he doesn't ask questions?"

"Oh, like you're an expert in knowledge, Potter. I seem to recall you earned abysmal grades in Potions," the blond sniped back.

"That's because Snape was a greasy git and was constantly favoring the Slytherins."

"Other students did alright in his class. It was just you and Longbottom who couldn't manage even a simple Calming Draught without melting a cauldron."

"I never melted any cauldrons!"

"Enough!" Came a ringing voice. Maia had finally grown annoyed with the men's bickering and had drawn her stick to brandish menacingly at them. "One more round of sniping from either of you and I'm putting a Silencing Charm on the both of you and letting you mime your conversations for the rest of the day." The others fell silent, glaring at each other through the flames, and Maia turned back to him. "In the future sorcerers are uncommon and usually refers to an extremely strong, possibly Dark, male magic-user. The last person to hold that title in our time was a man named Voldemort," Arthur noticed Draco flinch at the name, but Maia ignored it, "who was killed by Harry here. He was truly evil and difficult to defeat, but we won in the end."

Arthur looked the raven-haired man up and down, trying to imagine him fighting an evil sorcerer and cutting him down. It was difficult to believe as this man was very skinny and easily the shortest of the four men gathered there. He was about as tall as Maia, who, admittedly, was tall for a woman, but still. "Really?"

Maia nodded. "It took two wars and countless deaths of both our kind and those who don't use magic."

Arthur reflected that he wouldn't want to be called a sorcerer either if he had to deal with the memories of two wars fought to defeat the same person. He was jarred out of his musings by Merlin, who asked another question, probably because he hadn't been satisfied with the first answer.

"So, everyone in your time is called a witch, then?"

The dark-haired man blushed a bit, but the blond merely glared at Arthur's manservant. He felt a sudden urge to drag Merlin behind him and brandish his sword at Draco. Maia dispelled this reaction by laughing, the first time she had done so that he recalled, and only laughed harder when both of her companions turned their glares on her.

"No, no, not at all," she said, her voice full of mirth and amusement. "Male magic-users are called wizards and females are called witches."

"Only a Muggle would call one of the most powerful wizards in Britain a witch," the blond muttered.

"Don't get too full of yourself, Malfoy. Wouldn't want your head to swell up to big. It might make it harder to think up decent insults," Harry taunted and received only a glare for his trouble.

"Muggle?" Arthur asked, unfamiliar with the term and wondering if he should be insulted or not.

"Don't worry about it," Maia assured him. "It's just what wizards call people who can't use magic, like yourself."

"Can't or don't?" Merlin jumped in again. "Everyone here can learn magic if they want. The court physician used to practice magic, but promised the king he would stop when Uther banned magic throughout the kingdom."

This time Harry spoke up, answering the question with a haunting look of sadness in his eyes. "It doesn't quite work that way. Only special people can do magic, are born with the ability. Anyone who doesn't already have the ability to do magic cannot learn to control it. Either you're born with it or you're not."

"Like yourself, Merlin," Maia added, looking at Arthur's manservant with respect and admiration. "You were born with your magic, were you not?" Merlin nodded. "Yes, you are the first of our kind. Many wizards from our time consider you the father of modern magic. That's only stated in myths and legends of course, but believed all the same."

Merlin sat in stunned silence, marveling at the regard he apparently had in the future. If the woman was to be believed then he and Arthur were both subjects of legend, something he found oddly appealing if unbelievable.

No one spoke for several minutes and Merlin realized he was waiting for someone in particular to scoff at the idea that _Mer_lin could be the father of anything. Looking around he saw Arthur regarding him with a look of subdued curiosity. In fact, his entire manner had been subdued since the sorcerer's arrest, like the prince was weighed down with so many contradictory emotions and didn't know which ones to allow the light of day and which ones to seal in the darkest dungeons of his heart.

The sorcerer opened his mouth to say something, but he was headed off by the blond wizard he thought had been introduced as Draco. "Shouldn't we be moving now?" He drawled, tone and face stiff with boredom and an air of indifference. "It would really ruin our plans if we were to be caught by the castle knights so soon."

Maia nodded and stood, brushing off her trousers with an absent motion. Her two companions followed suit, Draco bending back down to retrieve his cloak and shake it out before throwing it back over his shoulders with a grimace. Merlin noticed the dark-haired man smirk in amusement and wondered what he found so funny.

Merlin scrambled to his feet when he suddenly realized he was the last one sitting around the fire. He looked around for a nearby stream or bucket of water to douse the campfire, but couldn't see one. Instead he moved to begin kicking dirt over the flames, but was beaten to it when the dark-haired wizard, Harry, pulled out his wooden stick and held it over the flames, muttering a word that Merlin didn't recognize but that caused water to stream from the tip of the stick and douse the fire.

Arthur made an impressed, and slightly apprehensive sound, in the back of his throat judging by the direction the sound came from. Merlin, however, couldn't find words, or even sounds, to describe his own feelings on the ability and talent these strangers had so far displayed. Neither of Harry's companions found this performance at all unusual, so Merlin gathered it must be done a lot and they had grown used to it. He didn't have long to dwell on this theory before Maia once again had them traveling to an unknown location.

"We'd best start walking now if we're going to make it by dark," she commented, striding off into the forest and dragging her cloak's hood over her dark hair. Her two companions did the same, hiding their appearances as much as possible. Merlin spared a moment to wish for a cloak so he could do the same then decided it wouldn't be worth it to him in this stiflingly hot weather.

"Why didn't we think to bring brooms?" Draco commented, though his voice sounded closer to a whine.

"Because we wouldn't have been able to use them here, Malfoy," Harry retorted. "All these Muggles around here would be like a giant neon arrow pointing the king right for us. We'd be captured before we could say 'Quidditch'."

"It was a rhetorical question, Potter," the blond replied with a sneer.

Maia snapped at them to shut up and keep walking or she would hex them into next week. The two men subsided, occasionally muttering and glaring at each other. Merlin was more preoccupied with the term "Quidditch" and why Draco would want a broom anyway. Did he plan to sweep the floor of their next stop so he wouldn't have to sit on his cloak again? Not that it would have done much good if their next camp was outside, but he couldn't fathom these strangers sometimes. Instead of trying, he just followed them meekly, vaguely noticing Arthur trailing along behind the rest of the group, and wondered what exactly was going on here.


End file.
